Maxillary sinus floor augmentation is considered to play a critical role in dental implant treatment. Although many complications, such as maxillary sinusitis and infection, are well known, few reports are available on the risk of surgical ciliated cyst following the procedure. Here, we report a case of surgical ciliated cyst following maxillary sinus floor augmentation. A 55-year-old Japanese woman was referred to our hospital because of alveolar bone atrophy in the bilateral maxilla. We performed bilateral maxillary sinus floor augmentation by the lateral window technique without covering the window. The Schneiderian membrane did not perforate during the operation. She returned to our hospital after 9 years due to swelling of the left buccal region. Computerized tomography revealed a well-defined radiolucent area with radiodense border intraosseously localized in the left maxilla. We performed enucleation of the cyst with the patient under general anesthesia. Histological examination of the specimen showed a surgical ciliated cyst. In conclusion, the course of this patient has 2 important implications. First, the sinus membrane entrapped in the grafted bone without visible perforation and or tearing can develop into a surgical ciliated cyst. Second, there is a possibility that covering the lateral window tightly might prevent the development of a surgical ciliated cyst.
Keywords: complication; maxilla; sinus floor augmentation; surgical ciliated cyst.